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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26441581">The Proposal(s)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DubiousSparrow/pseuds/DubiousSparrow'>DubiousSparrow</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>River Town [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adam Parrish Is Trying His Best, Adam Parrish Loves Ronan Lynch, Alternate Universe, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Ronan Lynch &amp; Blue Sargent Friendship, Ronan Lynch Loves Adam Parrish</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:14:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,117</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26441581</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DubiousSparrow/pseuds/DubiousSparrow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Adam is ready to propose, but it has to be PERFECT.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>River Town [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1775125</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>133</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. And Your Little Dog, Too</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first time he was derailed by a tiny dog.  </p><p>They were sitting in the back garden of <em>Le Cygne Noir</em>, the French restaurant in town.  Adam had called ahead and requested a certain secluded table near the willow tree. He was ready. The night was warm, the stars were out, and Ronan was happy and spent after a day with his nieces.  Adam ran his fingers over the small, velvet box in his pocket, reassuring himself that it was still there.  </p><p>Their waiter refilled their wineglasses and smiled, “Would you like to see the dessert menu?”</p><p>“I think we’re good,” Ronan replied, “Just the check, please.”</p><p>“I think I’d like dessert actually,” Adam said, a little too loudly.</p><p>“Oh,” Ronan looked surprised, “Sorry. OK.”</p><p>The waiter handed them both parchment menus and cleared away their plates.</p><p>“You never get dessert,” Ronan quirked a quizzical eyebrow at him.</p><p>“Just feel like stretching tonight out a little longer,” Adam said, taking Ronan’s hand across the table.</p><p>Ronan lifted their clasped hands to his lips and kissed Adam’s fingers. It had become a habitual gesture whenever they held hands.  Adam sighed. He was ready.  He was more than ready.  He’d had the ring for weeks, and had been planning out the perfect way to ask Ronan to be his husband.  He wanted every detail to be right.  He wanted Ronan to look back years later and remember an absolutely perfect moment.</p><p>“Ro…?”</p><p>“Hmmm?” Ronan was reading the dessert menu and absentmindedly stroking his thumb across the back of Adam’s hand.  Adam turned his hand palm up and squeezed.  Ronan looked up from the menu at him, “What’s up?”</p><p>“I love you, and I’m so happy.”</p><p>Ronan cocked his head to the side and smiled, “I love you too. You know that.”</p><p>“I do.  You’re so good at loving me.  No one else has ever loved me the way you do, with everything they have and everything they are...”</p><p>That’s when the barking started.  </p><p>Loud and high-pitched, on the other side of the garden’s tall fence.</p><p>Ronan didn’t seem to notice.  He had a cautiously hopeful look on his face “Um… are you… is this…?”</p><p>
  <em>Yap! Yap yap yap! YAP YAP YAP!!</em>
</p><p>Adam tried to ignore the piercing noise, “I… I’ve wanted to… for awhile now…”</p><p>What came next? He’d practiced this in his head. Shit! He was losing what he wanted to say.  He needed to say it <em>right</em>. </p><p>
  <em>Yap! YAP YAP YAP!</em>
</p><p>Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!</p><p>“You’ve wanted to <em>what</em>?” Ronan asked, holding his hand tighter.</p><p>
  <em>YAP YAP YAP!</em>
</p><p>Fuck! This was not how it was supposed to happen, with him yelling over a psychotic fucking Chihuahua!</p><p>“I’ve… wanted to try this place… for awhile now.  I’m really glad we finally did,” he finished lamely.</p><p>Ronan’s eyes were still wide, and he swallowed loudly, “Oh. Right. Yeah, me too.”</p><p>He was quiet for a moment.  </p><p>“Was that all you wanted to say…?” he asked, his eyes cast down at the table.</p><p>“Mm-hmm,” Adam murmured, staring at the dessert menu, “You know, I’m not really in the mood for dessert after all.  Do you mind if we just get the check?”</p><p>Ronan cleared his throat, “That’s fine.  I’m fuckin’ tired after a day with the monsters anyway.”</p><p>Adam clenched his jaw.</p><p>
  <em>Goddamnit.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>No tiny dogs were harmed in the making of this fic.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Steve... The Pool Boy?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Let's take it from the top, people.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The second time Declan fucked it up.</p><p>Not knowingly.  Just by being Declan.</p><p>The first sign of trouble was when he heard the apartment door slam shut.</p><p>“He thinks he’s in charge of <em>everything</em>! He can’t fucking <em>fathom</em> me making my own goddamned decisions!”  Ronan threw his leather jacket across the room, nearly knocking over a lamp.</p><p>“Nice visit with Declan then…?” Adam raised his head from the couch.</p><p>“Why. Is. He. SUCH. AN. ASSHOLE??” Ronan was halfway to the bedroom, already ripping off his shirt and undoing his belt.</p><p>“What did he do this time?” Adam asked, trying to sound calm, and not like someone with a ring burning a hole in their pocket.</p><p>Wait.</p><p>Shit! The bedroom! </p><p>Had he pulled the curtains on the doors leading out to the backyard?? A backyard newly strung with twinkly lights and filled with several dozen bouquets of peonies??</p><p>He leapt over the back of the couch and rushed to the bedroom door, beating Ronan by seconds.</p><p>Ronan stopped abruptly in his tracks, and reared back to keep from knocking Adam over, “What the fuck, Parrish?”</p><p>“I… sorry… I just need you… to look at something in the kitchen really quick,” Adam spread his arms so he was fully blocking the bedroom doorway and tried to look casual. </p><p>“Can I get out of these clothes first? I just need this day to be <em>over</em>.”</p><p>“Um…  I actually really need you to do it now.  Please.”</p><p>Ronan’s tense and angry expression shifted to one of suspicion, “What do you not want me to see in the bedroom?”</p><p>“Uh… Steve… the pool boy?”</p><p>“We don’t have a pool.”</p><p>Adam searched his mind for a believable lie, and came up completely empty. </p><p>“Do you love me?” he asked, putting his hands on Ronan’s face.</p><p>Ronan’s eyes locked on his, “Of course I do.”</p><p>“Then please go into the kitchen. Pour us both a glass of wine. And wait for me there. And don’t ask me about the bedroom. I promise it’s nothing bad. I just need you to… let it be.”</p><p>Ronan looked like he wanted to argue, but instead he leaned in and kissed Adam softly, “OK… I guess.”</p><p>Adam let out a deep breath, “Thank You.”</p><p>Ronan walked to the kitchen, throwing a confused glance over his shoulder at Adam. As soon as he was through the swinging wooden door, Adam slammed the bedroom door shut and ran to the French doors leading to the backyard.  He ripped down the strings of lights and threw them in a jumble behind the azalea bush.  He gathered up the peonies, and, fighting down the nausea that arose when he remembered just how expensive they had been, tossed them over the fence into the neighbor’s yard.  He’d call old Mrs. Carruthers tomorrow morning and apologize.</p><p>Two attempts. Two failures.  Fucking A.</p><p>Was the universe trying to tell him something?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Why, yes, they DO live next door to Tad’s grandmother. Small world!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Squirrelly</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Blue gets it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Blueberry, something is up with Parrish.”</p><p>Blue peered over her beer at Ronan.  His boots were up on the table, and he was leaning back dangerously in his chair.  They’d just closed the bar for the night, and were winding down after a busy evening. They usually had a drink together at the end of their shared shift before going their separate ways.  It had become something of a standing date.</p><p>“Meaning?”</p><p>“He’s…” Ronan scrunched up his face, “I don’t know… squirrelly lately.”</p><p>“Is he all up in your nuts?” Blue cackled and ducked out of the way of a flying pretzel.</p><p>“He’s hiding something,” Ronan said, letting the front legs of his chair slam against the floor as he sat up.</p><p>“Adam thinks <em>you</em> are the most beautiful and perfect human he has ever met.  God knows why.  So if he’s <em>actually</em>  hiding something, and that’s a big IF because you are a fucking drama queen, I really doubt it’s a bad thing.” </p><p>Ronan choked on his beer, laughing, “Watch who you’re calling a drama queen, maggot! If that ain’t the pot throwing a fucking hissy fit and storming out on the kettle while whipping her hair around and yelling about the patriarchy…” Ronan mimed her signature arm flailing, spilling his beer.</p><p>Blue wheezed with laughter until she finally tipped out of her chair and landed on the floor, “Fuck….  you…” she managed to gasp out pointing up at Ronan.</p><p>“See! You can’t even laugh without making it a fucking production!” Ronan poked at her hip with the toe of his boot, “Get back up here! I need some fucking insight!”</p><p>Blue managed to climb back onto her chair, wiping away the tears on her face, “Jesus, I needed that. OK, so you think something is wrong…”</p><p>Ronan nodded seriously.</p><p>“And you’re sure you’re not imagining things…”</p><p>Ronan cocked his head, annoyed, and nodded again.</p><p>“Then I think you only have one option here.  And it’s pretty drastic.  I wouldn't suggest it, except things are obviously dire...”</p><p>Ronan visibly braced himself.</p><p>“You have to… TALK. TO. HIM,” Blue enunciated carefully as if speaking to a toddler.</p><p>Ronan pushed his seat back again and threw his head back, “Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck!!!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>These two chuckleheads together. I love them to death.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. There Was Room on That Door</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>OK</em>, Adam thought, <em>third time’s a charm</em>.</p><p>The new plan was a little out of left field.  He wondered if his suggestion that they rent a rowboat in Central Park had alerted Ronan that something was up. It certainly wasn’t something they would normally do, but he thought he’d rationalized it to Ronan pretty well.</p><p>
  <em>I just think it’s such a waste that we live so close to the city, but we never do anything fun there, you know? I just go back and forth for work, and you hardly ever go unless you’re meeting Matty. We should try to do more stuff… like let’s go to Central Park… maybe we could rent a row boat like in the movies?</em>
</p><p>He’d tried to play it off like the idea had just occurred to him. Ronan had squinted at him like he was trying to figure something out, but had agreed.  Adam had worried that he’d suggest inviting the others, but he should have known that Ronan would always choose time alone together, even if it was doing something corny.</p><p>And now they were in a <em>boat</em> together. </p><p>It was kind of weird.</p><p>Why did people find this romantic?</p><p>Adam looked around the lake.  Toy sailboats floated by. Ducks swam in lazy circles, occasionally diving down out of sight.  The sky was a solid blue and the breeze pushed them slowly along so neither had to row.</p><p>Actually, maybe this <em>was</em> kind of nice.</p><p>Ronan sat facing him, his long legs stretched out, bracketing Adam’s knees.  He was leaning back on his arms and gazing at the sky through his aviators.</p><p>Adam reached into the cooler behind him and pulled out two bottles of Ronan’s favorite beer, handing one to him.  </p><p>Ronan smiled and clinked his bottle against Adam’s, “I gotta hand it to you, Parrish. This is better than I expected.”</p><p>Adam grinned, “So <em>not</em> a ‘lame-ass tourist trap for losers’ then?”</p><p>“There’s still time for this to go south.  I’ve seen <em>Titanic</em>. You would full-on Winslet me and keep the whole door to yourself while I freeze my ass off.”</p><p>Adam laughed, “It’s 80 degrees out and the shore is about 50 yards away. I think your perfect DiCaprio-esque ass is safe.”</p><p>Ronan shifted forward so he was kneeling in front of Adam, and leaned in until their noses were just brushing, “Remember that for the vows, Parrish – ‘I knew he was the one because of his perfect DiCaprio-esque ass…”</p><p>“WHAT?!” Adam pulled back quickly, a look of panic on his face.</p><p>Ronan reared back as well, “Jesus, it was a <em>joke</em>. What the fuck is wrong with you?”</p><p>“Nothing! I just… you just…” Adam put his head in his hands.  It was all going downhill <em>again</em>.</p><p>“Whatever. It’s fine,” Ronan sat back against his seat and looked up at Adam, “No, you know what, it’s not fine. You’ve been acting weird for <em>weeks</em>.  What the fuck is going on with you?”</p><p>Adam closed his eyes. Yep, today was not the day.</p><p>“I know I’ve been <em>off</em> lately.  I’m sorry.  I think maybe… work is getting to me.”</p><p>Ronan pushed his sunglasses onto his head and squinted at Adam, “What the <em>fuck</em> is going on at work that would make you act like <em>this</em>?”</p><p>Adam sighed.  Even he didn’t buy what was coming out of his mouth, “I’m just under a lot of pressure right now, and it’s making me distracted.”</p><p>Ronan looked unconvinced.</p><p>“I promise I’ll try to be better,” Adam said, reaching forward and grasping Ronan’s hand, “<em>Really</em>.”</p><p>Ronan looked down at the bottom of the boat and nodded sullenly.</p><p>Adam picked up the oars and started to row towards the shore.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Admit it – you thought I was going to dump them out of that boat, right? So did I for a bit! But nah.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Tiny Consigliere</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Blue bringin’ the wisdom... again.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Thanks for meeting me, Blue.”</p><p>Blue leaned back against the park bench and gazed out at the river, “I had a feeling you might need to talk about something…”</p><p>Adam looked over at her, “Has Ronan said something to you?”</p><p>“He’s worried, Adam.  Does he have a reason to be worried?”</p><p>“No! God… I’m just a fucking idiot,” Adam clenched his fists in his lap. </p><p>Blue reached over and laid her hand on top of his and he relaxed his grip, “I have a theory about what’s going on.  But if I’m wrong I’m going to feel like a dick, and you’re probably going to feel worse.  Do you want to know my theory?”</p><p>Adam laughed, “Well when you make such a compelling case…”</p><p>“You’re going to propose.”</p><p>Adam’s entire body jerked, “How did you know?!  Does Ronan know??”</p><p>Blue let out a loud, relieved breath, “Thank fucking god! If you were actually cheating on him I would have had to beat the living crap out of you, and I’ve come to be very fond of you, young man, despite your capitalist leanings.”</p><p>“I’m sorry, but <em>whom </em>do you live with again?” Adam arched an eyebrow at her.</p><p>“Don’t change the subject.  YOU’RE GOING TO PROPOSE!! THIS IS HUUUUUGE!” Blue wrapped her arm around Adam’s shoulders and hugged him awkwardly, “So why is your soon-to-be-betrothed so fucking miserable?”</p><p>“Because apparently I’m <em>really</em> bad at proposing. I’ve tried three times! Something always goes wrong, and I want it to be perfect. It <em>has</em> to be perfect.  Ronan deserves that.”</p><p>Blue shook her head, “Look, a proposal is a very personal thing, so I’m not going to say that you’re doing it wrong…  but… well, shit, you’re doing it <em>wrong</em>!”</p><p>“I KNOW! That’s why I keep aborting at the last minute. And apparently freaking Ronan out,” Adam moaned miserably.</p><p>“You said Ronan <em>deserves</em> it to be perfect, but what Ronan <em>wants</em> is you. Just you.  Since the moment you met, that’s what he’s wanted.  Don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be, Adam.”</p><p>Ronan gazed out at the river, the sunlight shining off the water, “You’re right.  I’m going to do this one more time, and I’m going to propose no matter what happens. Tonight.”</p><p>Blue squealed, “Oh my god! It’s going to take all of my strength to keep this to myself…”</p><p>“Blue…” Adam muttered warningly.</p><p>“Oh relax, Parrish, your secret is safe with me. Now go lock down your man!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Seriously, dude, lock him down! We're all ready!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Magical (Im)Perfection</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Come hell or high water, our boy is getting proposed to.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>That night Adam picked up two pieces of chocolate cake from <em>Le Cygne Noir</em>.  He bought a single bouquet of peonies from the florist. And finally a six-pack of Ronan’s favorite beer at the corner shop.  When Ronan came home from the bar, Adam was sitting at the island in the kitchen, the cake plated, the beers sitting in a bowl of ice, the flowers in an old, chipped vase.  He’d lit some of the candles that Noah had left (not the pines ones… those were awful).</p><p>Ronan sat down heavily on his stool.  He looked resigned to another bizarre encounter.</p><p>“What’s all this…?”</p><p>Adam felt an ache in his chest.  He had truly fucked this whole thing up. All he wanted was to be with Ronan. Why had he made it so difficult? Why had he been making Ronan feel insecure and confused, when all he wanted was to show him how much he loved him?</p><p>“This is a symbolic representation of my utter failure to show you how much I love you.”</p><p>Ronan looked up at that, “Come again?”</p><p>“I’ll explain it all, I promise, but I have to ask you something first, before a rabid opossum jumps through the window, or Noah calls needing bail money, or I get it into my head that the tides are all wrong…”</p><p>“Parrish, you are making even less sense than usual, and that’s saying something these days.”</p><p>“I know! I’m sorry! But I will have you know that <em>you </em>did this to me! I have always been a perfectly <em>rational</em> person who makes <em>measured</em> decisions and doesn’t believe in... in... <em>magical perfection!</em>”</p><p>“Magical perfection?”  Ronan was struggling to follow Adam’s diatribe.</p><p>“Yes! Because that’s what you deserve! Magical perfection! Because you are so <em>fucking perfect</em>!  I mean, you’re obviously <em>not</em>.  You’re short-tempered, and impulsive, and you leave your clothes <em>everywhere,</em> and you always hog all of the oreos, and you shave your head in the <em>kitchen </em>for christ’s sake, and you own a ridiculously expensive car yet have not even the <em>tiniest</em> fucking clue how an internal combustion engine works despite me explaining it to you at <em>least</em> twelve times,  and you constantly forget to charge your damned phone…  and… and…” Adam was panting at this point and stopped to take a deep breath, “and I love you so much it hurts, Ronan.”</p><p>Adam dropped to one knee.</p><p>Ronan’s eyes widened and his jaw fell open.</p><p>Adam pulled the ring from his jeans and took Ronan’s hand.</p><p>“Will you marry me?” Adam nearly whispered the question, his eyes locked with Ronan’s.</p><p>Ronan looked like someone had punched him.  He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out for a few seconds. He closed his eyes and took a breath.  </p><p>Adam barely could hear him when he breathed out, “Yes. Yes yes yes yes yes...”</p><p>Adam rose from the floor and kissed Ronan, swallowing his stream of whispered yes’s. Then he climbed gleefully into Ronan’s lap, wrapping his arms around him. Ronan held him tightly, his fingers digging into Adam's back. Their kisses were joyful and relieved and incredulous and certain.</p><p>“So this is why you’ve been so weird lately? You’ve been overthinking the whole thing and freaking yourself out?” Ronan murmured into Adam's ear.</p><p>“Mm-hmm,” Adam hummed in acknowledgement into Ronan’s neck.</p><p>Ronan sighed, "Of course you were."</p><p>Ronan pulled his head back so he could look into Adam’s eyes, “You could have asked me while we were doing dishes, or while we both had the flu last month, or while you were clipping your fucking toenails and the answer would have always been the same. You’re it for me. You always have been.”</p><p>Adam leaned forward and kissed him softly.</p><p>“Now gimme that thing!” Ronan laughed, grabbing at the ring. Adam placed it in his palm and Ronan bit his bottom lip, smiling.  The ring was made of smooth black titanium and had a barely visible feather pattern running over it.</p><p>“It’s engraved…” Adam said softly.</p><p>Ronan peered at the inside of the ring. </p><p>
  <em>Tamquam Alter Idem.</em>
</p><p>Ronan looked up at Adam.</p><p>“It’s perfect.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Man, what is more romantic than a recitation of all one's faults.  Nothing, I tell you!</p><p>Mazel tov, babies! Enjoy the cake!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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